Snapchat set to venture into augment reality: Report

LONDON: Remember Google Glass? Now, the popular photo sharing mobile service Snapchat is reportedly set to enter the augmented reality (AR) field.

Snapchat has joined the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) which maintains the Bluetooth wireless standard. Joining this group is a necessary prerequisite for firms that want to employ Bluetooth in any hardware devices.

According to Financial Times, the Snapchat move to switch from software to hardware fuels speculation that it is working on AR wearable devices (like Google Glass).

Unlike virtual reality (VR), where the user is isolated from the real world, AR users continue to be in touch with the real world while interacting with the virtual world.

"Snapchat is an 'adopter' in the SIG, which is a free tier that provides member-companies with a license to build Bluetooth-enabled products, and to work with other Bluetooth SIG makers on collaborative efforts," Tech Crunch reported on Tuesday.

Snapchat has also acquired start-up Vergence Labs that was developing a headset similar to Google Glass.

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